A Celebration of Fright Flicks Old and New, Mainstream and Obscure (with the occasional civilian film tossed in as well)

Monday, January 28, 2019

URBAN LEGEND (1998) Blu-ray Review

Urban Legend (1998) d. Jamie Blanks (USA) (99 min)

While turning the scary little “true” stories that everyone has heard from “a friend of a friend” into horror films is nothing new (see When a Stranger Calls), this slick feature attempts to incorporate as many as possible into the context of a slasher movie with moderately successful results. First-time director Blanks (Valentine, Long Weekend) assembles an extremely photogenic cast to play students enrolled in professor Robert Englund’s college class on urban legends. Silvio Horta’s smirking script then proceeds to creatively eliminate the student body utilizing the syllabus’ grisly methodologies.

The suspects are so plentiful that only by turning up as victims can they remove themselves from suspicion. Who could the parka-wearing killer be? Jared Leto’s passionate newspaper editor? Good girl Alicia Witt? Tara Reid’s breezy DJ? Brash bad girl Rebecca Gayheart? Practical joker Joshua Jackson? Goth freak Danielle Harris? Campus rent-a-cop Loretta Devine? Or maybe it’s kooky gas station attendant Brad Dourif, trotting out his One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest stutter.

Enthusiastically made by aficionados of the genre, the film manages to be entertaining despite straining its audience’s credulity in search of a higher body count. The enjoyable (if artificial) effort succeeds right up and through its final act, even as it serves up horror clichés involving villains that won’t stay dead and corpses improbably stuffed into every nook and cranny. Followed by a sequel (of course).

About Me

Well, during the day I move among you as mild-mannered Aaron Christensen, Chicago actor. But at night, when the popcorn pops full, I transform into my alternate personality Dr. AC, hopeless horror movie nerd-cum-Ambassador of Horror.
However, despite my inclination to discuss monsters that pervade, aliens that invade, creatures of the night, vampires that bite...I'm actually the nicest guy you'll ever meet.